Temperate Forests

Temperate forest in the Great Smoky Mountains (Tennessee, U.S.) Click on image for full size (206K JPG) DAAC-Oak Ridge National Laboratory / NASA

The temperate forest biome is found in regions where there is large difference in temperature between winter and summer. Regions with this climate are generally found in the mid-latitudes, far from both the equator and the poles. Tropical rainforests are in regions that are consistently warm all year long, close to the equator.

Temperate forests are almost always made of two types of trees, deciduous and evergreen. Deciduous trees are trees that lose their leaves in the winter. Evergreens are trees that keep their leaves all year long, like pine trees. Forests can either have deciduous trees, evergreens, or a combination of both. Another kind of forest is a temperate rain forest. These are found in California, Oregon and Washington in the United States. These forests are made of redwoods and sequoias, the tallest trees in the world.

The amount of rainfall in an area determines if a forest is present. If there is enough rain to support trees, than a forest will usually develop. Otherwise, the region will become grassland.

Temperate forest in the Great Smoky Mountains (Tennessee, U.S.) Click on image for full size (206K JPG) DAAC-Oak Ridge National Laboratory / NASA

The temperate forest biome is found in regions where winters are cold and summers are warm. Regions with this climate are common in the mid-latitudes, far from both the equator and the poles. Tropical rainforests are in regions that are consistently warm all year long, close to the equator.

Temperate forests are almost always made of two types of trees, deciduous and evergreen. Deciduous trees are trees that lose their leaves in the winter. Evergreens are trees that keep their leaves all year long, like pine trees. Forests can either have deciduous trees, evergreens, or a combination of both. Another kind of forest is a temperate rain forest. These are found in California, Oregon and Washington in the United States. These forests are made of redwoods and sequoias, the tallest trees in the world.

The amount of rainfall in an area determines if a forest is present. If there is enough rain to support trees, than a forest will usually develop. Otherwise, the region will become grassland.

Temperate forest in the Great Smoky Mountains (Tennessee, U.S.) Click on image for full size (206K JPG) DAAC-Oak Ridge National Laboratory / NASA

Temperate forests are found all over the world, but they are not all the same. Some forests have trees that lose their leaves in the winter. These trees are called deciduous. Other forests have trees that keep their leaves all year, like pine trees. These trees are called evergreen because they are green all year long.

Temperate forests are different than tropical rainforests. Rainforests are in areas where it is warm all year long. But temperate forests can live in areas where winters are cold. If there is enough water for trees to grow, then a forest will form. Otherwise, the land will be grassland.